PCR assay using degenerate primers, designed to Badnavirus genus, was used to detect and analyse the variability of BSV strains sequences from banana. The virus was detected in diploid (AA), triploids (AAA; AAB) and tetraploids (AAAB) banana cultivars. Four BSV sequences patterns (BSVBR-1, BSVBR-2, BSVBR-3 and BSVBR-4 strains) were found, and distinguished by eletrophoresis. The strain BSVBR-1 was found in the states of Acre, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, Santa Catarina and São Paulo, while BSVBR-2 strain was detected in the states of Amazonas and Ceará. BSVBR-3 and BSVBR-4 strains were found only in the state of Ceará. This work demonstrated the presence of different BSV strains in Brazil and the existence of health banana cultivars as well as cultivars free of BSV integrated sequences.
Musa spp.; Polymerase Chain Reaction; PCR
